THE sale of the Port of Gladstone won't happen under a new Labor government, and Labor candidate Glenn Butcher has started a petition against the sale.

In town on Monday to endorse Mr Butcheras Labor candidate, Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk gave her assurances the Port of Gladstone was safe under Labor, despite her predecessor Anna Bligh originally putting the sale at the top of her to-do list when she was premier and being met with strong backlash.

Key speakers in the Gladstone community have already told Treasurer Tim Nicholls what they think of the incumbent Liberal National Party Government's calls to sell the port, but as yet they have no candidate to stand up for the Gladstone electorate.

Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Butcher would take the fight against the port sale up to the Newman government until the next election.

"Gladstone is hurting and it doesn't want its port sold off," she said.

"This is my iron-clad guarantee the Gladstone port will stay in Gladstone's hands."

Mr Butcher said his number one priority was convincing the Newman government not to sell the port, and an e-petition has already garnered more than 400 signatures.

"People are concerned now, and they want to talk to me about it," he said.

He said that wasn't his only fight, though, also putting Gladstone Hospital and its services on a list of improvements needed, as well as the need for Calliope to get its own high school.